In his Apostolic Letter "Patris corde" ("With a Father's Heart"),
Pope Francis has proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph from Dec. 8, 2020, to Dec. 8, 2021.
Act of Consecration -- Entrustment of the Diocese of Charleston to St. Joseph, the Universal Patron of the Church
In his Apostolic Letter "Patris corde" ("With a Father's Heart"),
Pope Francis has proclaimed a Year of St. Joseph from Dec. 8, 2020, to Dec. 8, 2021.
Act of Consecration -- Entrustment of the Diocese of Charleston to St. Joseph, the Universal Patron of the Church
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Legacy of Faith and Music
As part of the 75th Anniversary celebration of St. Joseph, we embarked on two projects to commemorate this momentous occasion: the dome project and the organ project. Our dome project has been fully funded and will be installed this summer. The dedication will be on
September 14, 2025, at our 12:15 PM Mass.
Our new organ project is now solidly in process. As we enter the Legacy Phase of this project, we are happy to announce that, to date, we have raised $1,040,812.00, just shy of half the funds needed to install our new organ and expand the balcony.
With the leadership of Msgr. Harris, Worth Lewallen, Dr. Patrick Hawkins, Adrienne Carroll, and Mike McCabe, our Parish Finance Council Chair, we have selected Mascioni Organs to build our much-needed pipe organ.
At St. Joseph Church, music is more than simply a part of the liturgy; it supports a thriving, active church community in a myriad of different ways. The new organ will support congregational singing, and various ensembles of the Music Ministry. After all, St. Joseph’s musical life has the potential to grow and develop even further beyond where it is today.
About the new organ
The new organ at St. Joseph Church will fulfill and forward the church’s musical needs for decades to come, and at the same time, the church itself will acquire an object of great beauty. The new three-manual and forty independent stop organ will stand in two handcrafted hardwood cases on the gallery either side of the west window, each presenting a shining façade of burnished pipes capped with hand-carved decorative shades. Musically, the west gallery is an ideal space for the new organ as its stonework reflects sound directly into the nave of the church. This way, everyone present can be encouraged to sing with it. The organ’s cases will house around 2,000 pipes made of wood, tin, lead and zinc, in lengths from 16 feet to a fraction of an inch. These pipes are in turn linked to a console by an advanced electromagnetic action that’s simple and highly reliable, yet sensitive to the touch of even the fastest player.
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Rendering of the Organ at St. Joseph Catholic Church
Conceptual design of the organ for
St. Joseph Catholic Church - a general rendering that will be refined to reflect the unique character of our parish
About the organ's builder
The organ will be built by the renowned Mascioni organ builder, located in Azzio in northern Italy. This will be the first instrument to be installed in the United States by the Mascioni firm. The Mascionis are experts in organ design, construction, and pipe voicing. Thanks to light wind pressures and moderate pipe dimensions, every register, or “stop”, of pipes can blend naturally with others to create a vast range of tonalities. Therefore, even the fullest of sounds have a natural, Italian personality, without sounding “forced” or uncomfortable to the ear. Their organs are known for brilliant principal choruses, rich-flavored mutation stops, gentle flute registers, and even lyrical reeds. The family-owned and operated company is headed by Andrea Mascioni, who is a 6th-generation organ builder who apprenticed with the prestigious Mander Organ firm in England.
NOTABLE ORGAN INSTALLATIONS
(Since 1829, the company has produced over 1,200 organs.):
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The Vatican
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The National Superior Conservatory of Music in Paris, France
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St. Mary Catholic Cathedral in Tokyo, Japan
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Shrine of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal
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The Organ of the Duomo of Florence
For a complete list of their completed organ installations and restorations,
Mascioni Workshop in Azzio, Italy
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW OF PROJECT
Goal $2,250,000.00
Raised to Date: $1,040,812.00
Balcony Expansion: $350,000.00
Architectural design and fees: $40,000.00
Acoustical sheetrock and labor: $100,000.00
Cost to move organ and cover expenses for crew: $30,000.00
Mascioni Organ: $1,546,165.00
Organ Maintenance Fund: $150,000.00
LEVELS OF GIVING
Supporters:
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Gift Range: $1 - $99
Friends:
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Gift Range: $100 - $999
Champions:
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Gift Range: $1,000 - $4,999
Patrons:
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Gift Range: $5,000 - $24,999
Pillars:
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Gift Range: $25,000 - $100,000+
Legacy Partner:
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Gift Range: $100,000+